Starting from Gijon: 7th April

[gyro]

Hello out there,

Well, actually the name is Alex, not gyro.
I started the CdeN in 2013 and made it as far as Gijon after 20 soggy days. Now I am looking to get the boots on and continuing the journey.

I love to walk in Spain, greatly prefer walking on my own but find the companionship of the caminos a constant delight.
So if anyone else is zipping along a path between Gijon and Santiago and between 7th and 23rd April, and encounters an elderly Scot, grey hair, gasping for breath, and moving with the velocity and grace of an arthritic tortoise, it will be me.
So please do stop and say "hi". You will make my day.
Buen Camino a todos
Alex

 

[Anemone del Camino]

So if anyone else is zipping along a path between Gijon and Santiago and between 7th and 23rd April, and encounters an elderly Scot, grey hair, gasping for breath, and moving with the velocity and grace of an arthritic tortoise, it will be me.
Buen Camino a todas
Alex

Couldn't help but notice the conclusion of your post: "Buen camino a todas", as is AS, and not the generic OS ;0) If you were walking the Primitivo you would be the ideal walking companion for this 40ish, well "rounded", curly and red haired, moving with the velocity and grace of a Geisha (or so I have been told) ;0)

Buen Camino!

 

[angulero]

Ya están pasando peregrinos casi a diario por donde discurre la etapa siguiente a la de Gijón, así que en esas fechas no estarás sólo. Esa primera etapa es algo fea ya que atraviesa la zona industrial de Asturias, pero hay que andarla.

Pilgrims are already happening almost daily along which the next step to Gijon, so at that time you will not be alone. This first stage is something ugly because it crosses the industrial area of Asturias, but you must tread it.

 

[peregrino_tom]

if anyone... encounters an elderly Scot, grey hair, gasping for breath, and moving with the velocity and grace of an arthritic tortoise, it will be me.

I seem to recall you said something similar in 2013 and you managed to stay two days ahead more or less from Irun to Ribadasella, meaning I was unable to claim that beer we talked about!
So people, don't feel bad if gyro actually overtakes you...
Alex - welcome back, and I wish you an excellent second instalment - the weather will surely be better...?
cheers, tom

 

[gyro]

Thank you to Tom, Angulero and Anemone for each of your comments.

Indeed, my dear Tom, I now recall our discussions, along with Aubrey (yes?). And --oh boy-- was the weather dreadful for one of the weeks. I remembered that this was the first time I had seen hail whilst on the Iberian peninsula.

With respect to the important topic of beer, Tom, the offer remains. Catch up with me in some grimey dive on a Camino and the pints are on me.

Less than a fortnight to go. I am down for the last big "training walk" on Sunday. I am getting excited and daunted.
All kind thoughts
Alex

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Alex - yes, Aubrey, queen of the Cafe Con Leche is doing good. We were in touch in January - she's been in training for an 'ultra marathon'...
No chance of me claiming that beer, as won't be over in Spain until June, sadly.
Nothing at all to be daunted about - it's all much gentler from Gijon. Recommend going via Tapia and then mostly along the coastal path to Ribadeo.
Best wishes, tom

 

[gyro]

Thanks for the reassurance, Tom,
Can I ask you about the stage(s) around Miraz? Some of the guides appear to state that there are 40 km or so of moderately isolated pathways and very few options for accommodation/rest. Is this in fact the case and does it all make for a tough day on the camino?
Kind regards
Alex

 

[peregrino_tom]

Thanks for the reassurance, Tom,
Can I ask you about the stage(s) around Miraz? Some of the guides appear to state that there are 40 km or so of moderately isolated pathways and very few options for accommodation/rest. Is this in fact the case and does it all make for a tough day on the camino?
Kind regards
Alex

Hi Alex, I wouldn't describe the paths as isolated before Miraz, but the 25km to Sobrado afterwards is quiet, though mainly on country lanes/roads. The way I did it with the group I was with was:
- there was no room in the little albergue in Ribadeo, so we walked 7km up to Vilela which has a decent sized albergue and provides good meals
- next day 28k to Mondonedo passing two albergues around Gondan (the second newer one, about 2km further along) and one in Lourenza. Mondonedo, nice. & modern albergue.
- next day about 34km to Vilalba (up long valley from Mondonedo on the rd, passing what looks like ruins of civil war lookout at the top). Vilalba - a big modern place run by Bomberos I think, but apart from a nearby well-provisioned petrol station it's a 3km round trip to the bars and shops in town.
- next day 20km to Baamonde which people say is nice - but we pushed on the extra 15km to Miraz. As you may know it's a small place and fills up early, and those starting in Baamonde will get all the places in high season. However the hospitaleros will have some strategy to help late arrivals, whether it's arranging a taxi to take you to a case rurale or a private hostel about 6km away (I think?). Miraz has a gas cooker! (in the very nice kitchen) and a kettle and free tea.
I'm sure others will chip in with their own variations...
Overall it's well waymarked after Ribadeo and there are no hills to match that one just before Gijon. I'm getting quite envious just thinking about it.

 

[gyro]

Tom,
Thanks for that. Certainly this is one message which is going to be printed out/photoreduced/ carried with me.

So, reflecting on all of this. I made my first pilgrimage in 1998. And there have been a total of 5 completed: the Norte will be my sixth. You would have thought that I would be settled into the experience. But the reality is that I feel as daunted as I was in '98. I guess that if I was ever to get complacent about a 350 km walk, then I would start to make stupid mistakes: wrong boots: clothes: supplies etc.

So, tell me, did you find that you relaxed into the rhythms of pilgrimage preparations over the years, or do you - like me - feel like a newbie every time you prepare for a camino?
Alex

 

[peregrino_tom]

Alex
wow - 1998! It must have been a very different experience compared to now. I imagine it would have been a lot harder then, with far fewer places to stay, patchy way-marking and fewer fellow pilgrims to share the challenges with?

Since a poor start on the VdlP in 2010 (which all turned out well in the end) I've found it easier to enjoy the time before I start. I put that down to having learnt more Spanish words and phrases, having a better idea about what to take and what to leave behind; and, to finding my own rhythm to walking and stopping, gradually discarding old anxieties about the weather and finding places to eat and sleep. Probably at some point things will go seriously awry, but I don't really mind as the camino always seems to iron itself out eventually, in some way or other... famous last words!
cheers, tom

 

[gyro]

Alex
wow - 1998! It must have been a very different experience compared to now. I imagine it would have been a lot harder then, with far fewer places to stay, patchy way-marking and fewer fellow pilgrims to share the challenges with?

Since a poor start on the VdlP in 2010 (which all turned out well in the end) I've found it easier to enjoy the time before I start. I put that down to having learnt more Spanish words and phrases, having a better idea about what to take and what to leave behind; and, to finding my own rhythm to walking and stopping, gradually discarding old anxieties about the weather and finding places to eat and sleep. Probably at some point things will go seriously awry, but I don't really mind as the camino always seems to iron itself out eventually, in some way or other... famous last words!
cheers, tom

Well, maybe 1998 was a quieter time, I suppose. But I was as great as grass and made so many mistakes. That was the Camino Frances. I promised myself at the end that I would never tackle another pilgrimage. How wrong I was.
So, I leave for Gijon in a week, and like you, I know that I will settle into the rhythm as soon as I see the first yellow arrow....
Thank you for your advice and kind words
Alex

 

[peregrino_tom]

Alex, I hope you have the chance to post the occasional update along the way - it'd be good to follow your progress
best wishes, tom

 

[gyro]

Hi Alex, I wouldn't describe the paths as isolated before Miraz, but the 25km to Sobrado afterwards is quiet, though mainly on country lanes/roads. The way I did it with the group I was with was:
- there was no room in the little albergue in Ribadeo, so we walked 7km up to Vilela which has a decent sized albergue and provides good meals
- next day 28k to Mondonedo passing two albergues around Gondan (the second newer one, about 2km further along) and one in Lourenza. Mondonedo, nice. & modern albergue.
- next day about 34km to Vilalba (up long valley from Mondonedo on the rd, passing what looks like ruins of civil war lookout at the top). .

Interestingly, Tom, the structure is very odd and does indeed like a Civil War watchtower.
But the Spanish guides state that the building is a double kiln, used for the production of lime. Certainly, there do appear to be two ovens at the base of the structure.
And I have never seen anything like it.
Alex

 

[gyro]

An update: 10 days into this Camino and I am in Vilalba. The last three days have been pretty damn damp, and the weather forecast is not looking too promising. The pull from Aviles to Ribadeo was interesting and thought provoking. But I did feel that some of the local councils had diverted the camino around hills and in circular paths around villages in order to show the natural beauty. At times, I found myself heading for the main road and the hard shoulder in order to get the necessary km under my feet.

The first few days down from Ribadeo have been especially challenging, partly due to the weather, but also due to the varying conditions of the path. And there do appear to be a significant number of hills to lumber over. I am reminded of the conditions between the Galician border and Orense on the Via de la Plata: another challenging walk.

And, of course, in a few days time, I face the 40 km (or 15 + 25 k) challenge of Baamonde to the monastery. I only hope that the weather is better on Sunday.

Basically, I am fine, feeling healthy and enjoying the challenges. But, with 120 km to go, this route still feels like hard work.
And that, I suppose, is the point.
Kind regards
Alex

 

[jpflavin1]

Thanks for the reassurance, Tom,
Can I ask you about the stage(s) around Miraz? Some of the guides appear to state that there are 40 km or so of moderately isolated pathways and very few options for accommodation/rest. Is this in fact the case and does it all make for a tough day on the camino?
Kind regards
Alex

Gyro:

I took a little different route than Tom. I walked from Gontan to Baamonde a 40 km day but doable. Villalba is a nice Albergue but we got there at noon, to early to stop. Baamonde is a nice large Albergue with several bars and restaurants. Miraz is only a 15 km walk and there is only a bar in town. There are probably 20 beds here and it is a nice clean Albergue but no food. There is a store in Baamonde and I would suggest you buy food and cook in Miraz if stopping there.There are a couple of options if Miraz is full. Sobrado dos Monxes (the monastery) is next. If you get their early and they let you in, hold off on your shower. They do not turn on the hot water till around four.

This part of the Norte is far gentler than the early parts.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[mspath]

If you stay at the monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes do attend their evening Vespers service which is open to all. The candlelit service held in a new small chapel space set within the massive Baroque structure is most impressive as are the chanted responses of the resident Trappist monks.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hey Alex
thanks for the updates, very interesting and good to hear you've got the measure of it.. I wonder if you took the route over the hills after Soto de Luina? - I've heard that detour is hard but worth it...
Very kind of you to report back on the odd structure after Mondonedo - and to investigate its kilns! I guess my imagination must have strayed a bit, the lime works explanation seems more plausible. Sorry to hear you've not been getting our London weather (!). I hope you manage to stay at both Miraz and Sobrado. Ultreiya.

 

[gyro]

Dear Tom and Joe,
In Sobrado this evening - where it is cold and wet. the weather has been suitably Scots for the last four days.

So, I did manage Vilalba to Miraz yesterday: it has been a long time since I pushed myself for a 9 hours, 35 km haul. but I managed this one without too much pain. The trick, I discover in my old age, is to eat every two hours, irrespective of whether one feels hungry.

Miraz was a wonderful experience: I was the only pilgrimthere last night and the two hospitaleras could not have been more thoughtful and considerate, showing me the church, joining me for a little jerez in the bar, and generally being welcoming and kind.

The pull from Miraz to Sobrado today has been mixed: a delightful 12 km over the moorland, with the heather all in bloom, but the final 10km along the road was weary.

I met a single pilgrim over the entire day: a taciturn Frenchman. he shot past me at the Laguna.

So, 2 or 2.5 days to go. As ever, I will head off tomorrow and hope to get beyond Arzua before mid-afternoon.

Many thanks for your support and kind advice.
Alex

 

[gyro]

Hey Alex
thanks for the updates, very interesting and good to hear you've got the measure of it.. I wonder if you took the route over the hills after Soto de Luina? - I've heard that detour is hard but worth it....

No, but it was tempting. I have never been in a place like Soto de Luina. It had such a plethora of signage and yellow arrows, pointing in all conceivable directions. Eventually, I headed out of town on the road heading West (It seemed like the only smart decision).
Alex

 

[jpflavin1]

Alex:

I skipped Arzua and walked an additional 11 km's to Salceda. There is a great little bar there. I spent a late afternoon drinking Herbal Orujo and stayed in the Albergue next to the bar, can not remember the name. Nice Albergue though. I walked last April and had a completely dry walk with the exception of three days. The last day from Salceda to Santiago it rained the entire day.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[peregrino_tom]

I spent a late afternoon drinking Herbal Orujo

Does being herbal make it the healthy alternative? so more is better then...

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Alex - wow, Miraz was quiet, but good that you were able to stay there. I hope you are braced to meet the increased head count of the Frances.
Casi.

 

[jpflavin1]

Does being herbal make it the healthy alternative? so more is better then...

Of course.

 

[gyro]

Hi Alex - wow, Miraz was quiet, but good that you were able to stay there. I hope you are braced to meet the increased head count of the Frances.
Casi.

Yeah, heading down the hill to the corner by the "main square" in Arzua was a REAL SHOCK and I have to say that I found it unsettling. But I guess that this is part of the experience.

 

[gyro]

The "Right Type" of Pilgrim ?

A concluding thought as I made it to Santiago late yesterday afternoon and I am now having a rest day.

The question is the nature of the pilgrimage and of pilgrims.....I don´t have this figured out clearly in my mind, hence I putting this down on paper.

During the walk from Ribadeo, there was a group of elderly French folk. They used a minibus, drove to a particular spot on the camino, walked for 20 km, then were collected in the bus and taken to a hotel for the night. They did walk every day, they didn´t complete a single stage of the walk, and they made sure to have their credencials stamped every day.

Between Arzua and here, I came across two British folk (pilgrims? tourists?) who had been driven from place to place along the Camino Frances to "see the sights", then had walked in slow stages from Sarria to Santiago. As with the French group, they were met by a bus and whisked off to a suitable hotel each night. Yesterday, they had walked 10 km, from Santa Irene to Lavacolla, where the tour organisers had prepared a barbeque for them.

So the question is: how should I regard these folk? They didn´t have my experience and were not so stupid as to walk an entire camino, stay in albergues, or rely on one´s own wits to get through each day.

But my pilgrimage could equally well be described as being as self-indulgent as the other forms. I could have come to Santiago by plane, I could have stayed in luxury hotels, I could '-I suppose ' have arranged to have my meals prepared for me three times a day. Do I have any right to judge anyone else´s decisions?

As you can guess, I am not feel particularly charitable this morning.

However, I am in Santiago, I have completed what I set out to do back in 2012. I have achieved the task I wanted to achieve. and I do feel clearer and more joyful and blessed for having the time, money, health and support to make this trek.

I think I will try and avoid judging others.......at least for today and at least on this matter.

Alex

 

[mspath]

"A chacun son gout"/To each his own.

 

[peregrino_tom]

"However, I am in Santiago, I have completed what I set out to do back in 2012. I have achieved the task I wanted to achieve. and I do feel clearer and more joyful and blessed for having the time, money, health and support to make this trek."

Alex - congratulations! no real need to look any further than what you say. We can't really tell others how to do the camino, but if we believe in a particular way and a spirit for undertaking the journey, we can at least try and embody that.
I hope the sun finally caught up with you!

 

[jpflavin1]

The "Right Type" of Pilgrim ?

A concluding thought as I made it to Santiago late yesterday afternoon and I am now having a rest day.

The question is the nature of the pilgrimage and of pilgrims.....I don´t have this figured out clearly in my mind, hence I putting this down on paper.

During the walk from Ribadeo, there was a group of elderly French folk. They used a minibus, drove to a particular spot on the camino, walked for 20 km, then were collected in the bus and taken to a hotel for the night. They did walk every day, they didn´t complete a single stage of the walk, and they made sure to have their credencials stamped every day.

Between Arzua and here, I came across two British folk (pilgrims? tourists?) who had been driven from place to place along the Camino Frances to "see the sights", then had walked in slow stages from Sarria to Santiago. As with the French group, they were met by a bus and whisked off to a suitable hotel each night. Yesterday, they had walked 10 km, from Santa Irene to Lavacolla, where the tour organisers had prepared a barbeque for them.

So the question is: how should I regard these folk? They didn´t have my experience and were not so stupid as to walk an entire camino, stay in albergues, or rely on one´s own wits to get through each day.

But my pilgrimage could equally well be described as being as self-indulgent as the other forms. I could have come to Santiago by plane, I could have stayed in luxury hotels, I could '-I suppose ' have arranged to have my meals prepared for me three times a day. Do I have any right to judge anyone else´s decisions?

As you can guess, I am not feel particularly charitable this morning.

However, I am in Santiago, I have completed what I set out to do back in 2012. I have achieved the task I wanted to achieve. and I do feel clearer and more joyful and blessed for having the time, money, health and support to make this trek.

I think I will try and avoid judging others.......at least for today and at least on this matter.

Alex

Alex:

Congrats.

I, like most human beings, find myself being judgmental and biased, at least in thought, too often. Many times catching myself with such thoughts and saying, why would you even think that and try to have a self teaching moment. We all are judgmental and biased at times. That said, the one place that does not occur for me is the Camino. Possibly, because I am so self absorbed in my own thoughts and oblivious to others approach to their Camino's.

Camino's are very introspective journeys for me. A place where self examination takes place and I behave in a much better manner. My wife has often said, I am different when I return. My problem is embedding that change. It has led me to understand that environment has a huge impact on our behavior.

I am starting to preach. my point is just accept your feelings as potential for a learning moment. You can accept these thoughts as having any value or not.

Enjoy the Pilgrim mass and the time you will be sharing with your new found Camino friends.

Currently committing the deadly sin of envy. You are in Santiago and I am here .

Ultreya,
Joe